A Checklist for Travelling Alone

Travelling alone is an exciting way to see the world – whether you’re dashing away for a city break or spending a few months exploring corners of the world, our four-stop checklist will get you on your way to travelling alone – successfully.

Research Countries

This is especially useful if you’re a first-time solo traveller. There are so many options out there for solo travel, it can get very overwhelming. And not everyone has the same taste – some people might prefer city breaks and others might prefer to trek into more secluded territory.

Dangerous Business, a solo-travelling blog, recommends places like Canada, Iceland, Norway and Scotland for first-time places to visit thanks to their great transportation and hospitality links, as well as general safety for solo travellers.

Wherever you choose to visit, make sure you do your research. Should Iceland take your fancy, for example, you may wish to look into renting a camper van from somewhere like Rent.is so that you will not only have somewhere to sleep at night, but you will be able to drive yourself around the country and go exactly where you want, when you want. As you do your research, be realistic with what you think you will be able to manage, and try not to be swayed by online bucket lists of far-flung places that are only for experienced travellers!

Create Your Itinerary

Now you’ve decided where you’re going – it’s time to work out what to do.

Local landmarks are always a good place to start and there’ll be tourist websites that can help you find the best times to go, how expensive they are to see – and whether they’re worth visiting at all.

Consumer websites like TripAdvisor, online magazines like TimeOut and CultureTrip, travel blogs and websites – they can all help you find places that are popular with locals and less likely to be cluttered with tourists.

Creating an itinerary – no matter how loose – will help make sure you get the most out of your solo trip.

Get Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a must. It will protect you if you lose your luggage, have something stolen or are if you become unwell – but some policies will now come with COVID-19 cover. Companies like Staysure offer good travel insurance options, with policies for every kind of traveller and for every kind of situation you might need it in.

Get to Know the Country

A specific tip for the time of COVID-19 – get to know what the rules and restrictions are of the country. Sometimes this can be as simple as requirements to wear masks in certain places or more complicated restrictions.

These can change very quickly, so before you travel – make sure you know exactly what kind of COVID situation the country is in and whether you can visit at all. You may also have to take extra steps when you return from your journey – so it’s worth checking before you travel.

The best source of information is direct government health sites for the countries you’re visiting. You’ll also be able to find information through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website, which offers foreign travel advice for 226 countries and territories.